Extensible table.



W. T. FINK.

EXTENSIBLE TABLE.

APPLlcATloN FILED FEB,25. 1915.

l 9 l 5 l 2 Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNIF@ FIFATM@ FATF FFIFE.

WILLIAM T. FINK, OF CARLYLEQILLINOIS, LASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM JOHNSTON, OF CARLYLE, ILLINOIS.

EXTENSIBLE TABLE.

ria'aias.

lSpecification of Letters Patent. v vll?a-tgtmngtyerfll 001;. 26, 1915..

Application filed February 25, 1915. Serial No. 10,393.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. FINK, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Carlyle, in the county of Clinton and State of Illinois, have invented certain newV and useful Improvements in Extensible.,

Tables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to extensible tables and has for its object to provide a table that may be extended beyond its permanent area by means of a plurality of removable extension plates surrounding the normal outer edge of the table and supported on slidable supports which are normally adapted to be concealed from view between guide members beneath the permanent tabletop.

Another obj ect is to provide a table that, when extended by means of said extension plates, may have the shape of the permanent table-top or may be extended in a shape other than that of the permanent top by surrounding the edge of the permanent table-top by appropriately shaped extension plates of this invention.- Y

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extensible table of the character described, which is simple in opera-- tion, of cheap and strong construction,- and easy of operation.

An advantage of providing extension pla-tes adapted to surround the outer edge of the permanent table-top is that, when enlarging the table-surface of a table embodying the present invention, it is not necessary to divide and move the pedestal as is the case withcircular extension tables of the ordinary construction, and, moreover, a table embodying the present invention, when extended, presents a better appearance than that of the ordinary extensible table.

vention are mentioned in this specification, and, furthermore, this invention consists in the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofV parts set 'forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims. f

In thelaccompanyi-ng drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur, Figure l is a plan View looking down upon the top of a table embodying the present invention with the extension Other objects and advantages of this in plates inplace, a portion of one of said i plates being broken away to vshow means for joining an extension plate to the permanent table-top, to the slidable supports, and to an adjoining extension plate; Fig. la is a perspective View, on a reduced scale, looking downwardly upon one of the extension plates of Fig. l, removed from place ad jacent the permanent table-top; Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation of the table shown in plan view in Fig. 1;'Fig. EZa is a perspective view llooking at an end of the extension plate shown in Fig. la; Fig. 3 is a plan view looking up at the under side of a table of this invention with theextension plates in place, the pedestal having `been cut olf trans versely near the table-top; Fig. lis a cross sectional view onl the line M, Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View of a fragment of the permanent table-top and assovciated parts on the line 5 5-, Fig. 1; Fig. 5

is a cross sectional view ofia fragment of two adjoining extension plates'and associated parts ontheline 6 6, Fig. l; Fig. 7 is a plan view on a reduced scale showing a table embodying thepresent invention prov lvided with a modified form ofV extension plates; and Fig.' 8 is a detailed `fragmentary view showing the relation of adjacent edges of the extension plates, the edge of the permanent table-top, and the cam-shaped locking device prior to drawing, by means of said locking device, the extension plates toward each other and toward the edge of the permanent table-top to lockall parts in place. i

Although the drawings depict a table with a circular permanentltop, `it is, of course, understood that the permanent top of a tableembodying this invention may be of any other desired shape, such, for insupport, the width of said support being adapted to the space between two guidemembers forming the ypair supporting said extension-plate support slidable therein and the lengthwof said eXtension-plate support being preferably adapted to the` distancebe-- tween the outer edge of said annular member atrthe mouth of said opening to said pedestal7 sothat, when said slidable support for an extension-plateis jdrawn toward saidVV pedestal, the Youter endwill be flush with the outer edge of said annularmember adjacent the outer mouth'of said opening 7., e

Borne Aat an appropriate location on the yunder/side vof each slidable support 6, a

locking and limi'tingdevieeS may be provided, said device being adapted to perform certain locking functions hereinaftermore particularly described and being adapted,

' also, to limitthe outwardvmovement of said slidable support,if"`sa1id member being preferably cam-'shaped and being'eccentrically pivoted u ponpivotQ and supported, sofpivoted, on the under side off said slidable sup port 6 in any suitable Imanner, said member being adapted to 'limit the Voutward `movecontact with thel inner edge ofsaid-annular member adjacent 7the'inner mouth of said opening 7 when said sli-dablevsupport has been advanced suiiciently `far outwardly for the purposes of described. v j

Appropriate grasping'mevanslO, such, for instance, as-the-finger pieces or grips counter-sunk in the under side. of said'slidable supports 6 1shownfin-Nthe accompanying drawings,'ma'ylbe provided asconvenient means tor -drawingfsa'ifd slidable supports this inventionY as hereinafter forwardandbackward between lthe guide l members, and at an appropriatelocation near the outer endof each slidable support 6, dowel-pin lholes 11, preferablya pair of saidA holes Efor each slidable support, rmay be provided. w .Y

Reinforcing members :$12, such, -for-linstance, as tl1e,-reini:'orcingmembers 112 v,best

seen in `Fig. -disposedlincruciform upon and secured'fto :the under side/of permanent tableftop 2,'mayfbe provided ifo-r strengthening said top and parts associated therewith.

Normally the,Y size ofthe table ,f embodying the present invention is lthat `of the permanentitabletop,jbut :for-'increasing the sizeof the table, extension-plates 13 are provided, said extension-plates being adapted to rest upon the portion of slidable supports 6 drawn outwardly beyond the outer edge of said permanent top in the manner hereinkaiter more particularly described. Said eX- Vtension plates may be four in number, as -best seen 1n Flgs. 1 and 3, similar in size and .groove and tongue joints 1li, 15, and by means of dowel-joints 16, 17, borne at appropriate locations by said ends of said extension plates. A dowel-pin 18 may be provided borne by the under side of each extension-plate near each end thereof, each of saiddowel-pins being adapted to enter a corresponding one of said pair of dowel-pin holes 11 in slidable support 6 and being adapted to hold said plate in place on said support, said dowels engaging said holes being adapted, also, to .limit the inward movement of said slidable supports when said extensionplates are in place upon said supports, thus with the aid of locking device S permitting vsaid plates to be locked together and to permanenttable-top 2, as hereinafter described.

The edge of permanent table-top 2 and -the inner edge of each extension-plate 13 adjacent thereto may be joined together more intimately, when said plates are in ment ots'aid slid-able support'by coming in place, by means of tongue -19 and groove 20,

and-by means of dowel-'joints 21, 22, borne,

the-outer edge of annular member 4 adjacent the outer Amouth of a corresponding opening 7, `and so -that said slidable snp- -ports are entirely withdrawn beneath said kpermanent table-top 2. When it is desired -to extend theftable-top to form a table of greater area than that of said permanent Vtable-top 2,v slidable supports 6 are drawn outwardly in their respective guides 5 as .far asllimiting and locking device 8 will permit, .said device being set in the position Yshown in Fig. 8, which position is one adapted to permit the protruding dowel-pin holelbearing ends of each slidable support to be protruded sufliciently far to allow a slight space between the edge of said permanent table-top '2 and ythe inner edges adjacent athereto of said removable extension-plates 13and to permit a slight space between the adjacent edges of adjoining extension-plates when said extension-plates are placed upon said protruding ends oi said slidable supports with each dowel 18 inserted into a corresponding one of holes 1l, as shown by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, said spaces being sutiiciently great to permit said veXtension-plates to be placed about said outer` edge of said tabletop 2 on said supports with said dowel-pins in said openings, whereupon, said plates having beenV so placed, as shown by said dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, locking and limiting devices 8 are swung on their respective pivots, Fig. S,

. 17 and 21, thus forming an intimate union iii() of parts between said edge of permanent table-top 2 and the said inner edges ot said plates 13 and between adjacent edges of said adjoining plates, and, said locking and limiting devices being jammed against the adjacent surface of portions of the inner edge of said annular member 4:, all parts will be locked in the position shown by the iiull lines in Fig. 1, and, also, shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form ot an eX- tensible table embodying the present invention extended to increase `the area provided by permanent table-top 2, in which modified form two opposite extension plates 13 have the greater' portion of their outer circular edge and the surfaces adjacent thereto removed by cutting same away along similar cords oit' the arc oisaidbuter circular edge, so that when all the extension plates 13 are in place surrounding the edge of permanent table-top 2, the shape of the extended tabletop will approximate an elliptical form with said two opposite mutilated plates having their outer edges parallel to each other, as shown in said Fig. 7. rlhis modiied form is adapted, for instance` tor use in a room the dimensions of which will not conven icntlv accommodate an eXtensible table embodying this invention extended in circular shape.

lt is, of course, understood that many modifications from the circular torni of permanent table-top 2, shown in the drawings, may be made in a table embodying the present invention, and that corresponding changes may be made in the shape of extenn sion plates 13 to maintain in the extended table the form, whether circular, elliptical, oval, polygonous, or any other shape, the shape of said permanent table-top; or by constructing extension plates 13 with outer edges having an outline when in place different from that of the edge oi said permanent table-top, a table may be provided eX- tensible into any desired shape determined by the outline of said outer edges of said extension plates. Moreover, it is, of course, also understood, that the number of said ei;- tension plates may be greater or less than four, and that the number of slidable supports 6 with their associated parts may, also, vary from that shown in the accompanying drawings, Further, many other changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the nature and spirit of the present invention.

l claim:

1. An extension table having a permanent top, a plurality of removable extension leaves constructed to fit about the edge of said top, slidable supports mounted to move radially with relation to the permanent top, interengaging means carried by each of said slidable supports and the abutting ends of each pair of said leaves, and manually-operable means for imparting a drawing action to the slidable supports with relation to the permanent top for drawing said supports inwardly and binding said leaves against each other and against the periphery of the permanent top.

2. An extension table having a permanent top, a plurality of removable extension leaves constructed to fit about the edges of said top, slidable supports mounted for radial movement with relation to the permanent top and arranged to be drawn outwardly beyond said permanent top, a downwardly-extending member carried by said permanent top and through which said slidable supports extend, cams mounted upon said slidable supports and acting upon said downwardly-extending member for imparting inward movement to said slidable supports when said cams are manipulated, and interengaging means between each of said supports and each of the leaves supported thereby constructed to cause said leaves to move inwardly with said slidable supports under the action of said cams.

3. An extension table comprising a permanent top, a plurality of leaves shaped to it therearound, a plurality of radially-moving slidable supports carried by said permanent top, downwardly-extending dowel-pins carried by each of said leaves adjacent the ends thereof, each of said slidable supports being provided with elongated openings constructed to receive the dowel-pins ot an abutting 'pair of said leaves, whereby inward move y manent top, a plurality ofl leaves shaped to lit y therearound, a plurality of radially-moving` slidable supports carried by said permanent top, downwardly-extending doivel-pins carred by each of said leaves adjacent the ends thereof, each of said slidable supports being provided with openings constructed to receive the dOWel-pins of an abutting pair of said leaves, and .manually-operable means carried by said sli dable supports for imparting movement to said slidable supports inwardly ofthe permanent top and construet ed to lock said slidable supports against out- Ward movement after they have been moved to a predetermined degree.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM T. FINK.

Witnesses:

F. A. LIETZE, JOHN DIETERICH.

Copiespf this patentmaybe obtainedfor ve cents eachrb,y .addressing the Commissioner `of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

